Adam Huntsman (1786-1849) is best remembered for being the "timber toe" lawyer who beat David Crockett for Congress in 1835, leading to his journey to Texas and heroic death at the Alamo. But there was much more to him than the outcome of one election. As a public servant, he prided himself on his independence and serving the interests of his constituents. "I am the partizan of no man," he declared. "I never intended to be so." It was that individualistic spirit which put him at odds with one of the most forceful personalities in American history-Andrew Jackson-and helped bring about the first two-party political system in Tennessee history. A Virginia native, Huntsman resided in all three grand divisions of the state, settling in Knoxville, Overton County, and Madison County. He served five terms in the state senate, one term in Congress, and was an influential member of the 1835 constitutional convention. Huntsman was among the most colorful personalities in antebellum Tennessee. Despite losing his leg, he never lost his sense of humor. It was an essential ingredient in his political writings and speeches, sprinkled with Biblical references and selections from Aesop's Fables. It brought him personal popularity in courtrooms and on the campaign trail, where he never lost a race for public office.

The Peg Leg Politician: Adam Huntsman of Tennessee

Biographies & Memoirs

McCann, Kevin D.

Historical

BrayBree Publishing

In 2011, the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League changed their team name to the Jackson Generals as a tribute to the teams that represented Jackson, Tennessee in the Kitty League from 1935 to 1954.But who were the original Generals? The Jackson Generals: Minor League Baseball in Jackson, Tennessee introduces today's fans to stars of the past like Jesse Webb, Dutch Welch, Ellis Kinder, Gashouse Parker, Mel Merkel, Gabby Stewart, Walt Mestan, and Hal Seawright. From the triumph of the team's 1941 Kitty League championship season to the abysmal 26-game losing streak in 1954 that ended minor league baseball in Jackson, author Kevin D. McCann recaps each of the Generals' 13 seasons with narrative and photographs. There's also a section listing the all-time and single-season Generals batting and pitching leaders. A must-have book for every Jackson Generals fan!

The Jackson Generals: Minor League Baseball in Jackson, Tennessee

Sports & Outdoors

Baseball

Located east of the village of Finger in north McNairy County, Tennessee, Mount Carmel Cemetery is one of the oldest burying grounds in the county. It was on this hill that Matthew Ward and his wife Ester first settled in the early 1820s and where the first white child in McNairy County, Hugh Kerby, was born. A cemetery and house of worship were established in the years following. "In this cemetery," noted one twentieth-century writer, "sleep the ashes of the early pioneers and settlers of that section" of McNairy County. A SACRED HIGH PLACE shares the history of the cemetery and meetinghouse along with biographical sketches and photographs of several interesting persons buried there. It also includes an updated census of the cemetery that will be useful to descendants and family researchers.

A Sacred High Place: A History of Mount Carmel Cemetery and Meetinghouse, McNairy County, Tennessee

History

Talbott, John E.

Americas

A short visit to his hometown of Purdy, Tennessee rekindled the interest of native son and former Confederate Brigadier General Marcus J. Wright in the history and people of McNairy County, Tennessee. With the help of many old friends, he compiled their collective memories into a short publication published in 1882. It was one of the earliest published county histories in West Tennessee. BrayBree Publishing is proud to present this special Vintage Edition of Wright's county history. In addition to an authentic reproduction of the original book, it also includes a biographical sketch of the author, new illustrations, an expanded index, and Wright's own memoirs, which have never been published.

Reminiscences of the Early Settlement and Early Settlers of McNairy County Tennessee

Wright, Marcus J.

The “Great Magness Trial” was one of the most celebrated murder cases in early Tennessee history. David Magness shot and killed Major Patton Anderson in Shelbyville in 1810. His father, Jonathan Magness, and brother Perrygreen Magness were arrested as accomplices. Though considered a violent drunkard, Anderson was a personal friend of Andrew Jackson, who exerted his considerable influence to avenge Anderson’s death. The involvement of prominent figures such as Jackson, Felix Grundy, and Thomas Hart Benton heightened the public’s interest in the trial’s outcome. It tested the ability of jurors to carry out their duties in the face of powerful men seeking the conviction of the defendants.

The Great Magness Trial: The Killing of Patton Anderson, the Trial of the Magness Family, and the Pursuit of Justice on the Tennessee Frontier

Campbell, Jack MacGregor

In 1746, an African-American slave named Eve was convicted of poisoning and killing her master, Peter Montague, in Orange County, Virginia. She was burned at the stake on a knoll near the first county courthouse.  The site of her burning became known as “Eve’s Wail.” Terry Barkley sheds new light on this terrible, largely forgotten chapter in colonial Virginia history. He sets the stage of this tragedy with a glimpse at the early history of Orange County, Virginia, and the surrounding region. Through meticulous research delving into documented and oral sources, he recreates the trial and execution of Eve and examines crime and punishment during this period of colonial history.

Eve's Wail: An Enslaved Woman Burned at the Stake in Colonial Virginia

Barkley, Terry

John Maurice Webb (1847-1916) was known as "the gentle scholar." A master teacher, he served as co-principal of the famed Webb School in Culleoka and Bell Buckle, Tennessee, with his brother William "Sawney" Webb from 1873 to 1916. He was revered and adored by his students, among whom were future state and national leaders and eight Rhodes Scholars. Terry Barkley brings John M. Webb out of his older brother's shadow in The Gentle Scholar and sheds light on his unique contributions not only to Webb School and Bell Buckle, but to Vanderbilt University and the improvement of educational standards throughout Tennessee and the South from the post-Reconstruction period to the early 20th century.

The Gentle Scholar: The Forgotten Story of John M. Webb and the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee

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